DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman University Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance Reginald Thomas is one of 22 two minority and female administrators selected to participate in the 2016 NCAA Leadership Institute.

The two-year long program had its first in-person session July 9-15 in Phoenix, and will continue throughout with additional activities designed to provide insight into every facet of an athletics department, preparing them to become well-rounded leaders who are equipped with the tools an effective athletics administrator needs.

“The Leadership Institute is an unmatched opportunity, exposing qualified minority athletics administrators to the latest information and robust experiences, delivered by practiced experts in the field,” said Bernard Franklin, NCAA Executive Vice President of Education and Community Engagement and Chief Inclusion Officer. “Administrators who complete the program not only gain technical knowledge, but graduate with confidence and quality decision-making skills.”

With continuing-education activities throughout the year and an extensive alumni group, participants of the institute not only enhance and master skill sets, but also explore and plan for future career goals and paths.

“Being selected to the NCAA Leadership Institute is a game-changing opportunity for anyone aspiring to be senior level administrators in athletics,” Thomas said. “The institute will allow me to gain experiences and develop skill sets to continue to lay the foundation of my ultimate goal of being a collegiate director of athletics.”

The second year of programming will take place July 7-15, 2017 in Tampa.